In recent years surfing has undergone a dramatic evolution. Influenced by skateboarding, windsurfing and snowboarding, today's surfers are pushing the limits of surfing beyond the confines of the wave face and into the air. In the 60's, surfer would try to "hang ten" on heavy "longboards". Today, they are attempting new and increasingly gymnastic maneuvers called "aerials", riding small, lightweight surfboards. Aerials are now recognized as the moves of the future in surfing.
Because modern surfboards allow a great deal of speed and maneuverability, "getting air" has become relatively easy for the accomplished surfer. The difficultly, even for the best, is in staying with the board once in the air and achieving a controlled landing. Surfers are forced either to execute the maneuver so that the board stays in position under the surfer while in the air, which is extremely difficult, or grab the "rail" (outside edge) of the board with the hand or hands to hold it in position. The latter forces the surfer out of his natural stance and does not allow the use of his arms and upper body. This has an extremely limiting effect on the surfer's ability to control the maneuver.
Obviously, some means of attachment of surfer to surfboard would be of great benefit in the performance of aerials. While there have been attempts to accomplish this by various means, none have proven acceptable in practice. The methods employed in known devices have, for the most part, taken one of three basic forms. Shoes or sandal-like footwear have been fitted with hook & loop (Velcro) designed to adhere to like material applied to the deck of the board. Suction cups have been used in a similar fashion. Finally, foot straps, similar to those used on sailboards, have been attached to the board. Although all of these devises can secure a surfboard to the surfers feet, all suffer from problems that have, up to now, prevented them from being accepted into common use.
The major drawback to hook & loop and suction cup devises is that they cause a surfer's feet to become generally fixed wherever they first make contact with the surfboard. In practice, a surfer's feet are seldom perfectly placed upon standing, and nearly always require some adjustment before he can perform effectively. If the attachment of surfer to board is strong enough to hold during extreme, and especially aerial, maneuvers it will not allow this adjustment. Conversely, if the strength of the attachment allows repositioning of the feet it will be so weak as to render the system ineffective.
Unlike hook & loop and suction cup devices which have been used on both the front and back feet, foot straps have been used mostly for the front foot. the mechanics of rising from a prone to a standing position on a surfboard make the use of a foot strap truly viable for the front foot only. This is not as detrimental as it might seem, however, since it is often necessary to move the rear foot up or back when performing various maneuvers. For example, when surfing very small waves, the rear foot will often be moved well forward of its normal position. Since the front foot is normally positioned nearer the center of gravity of the surfboard, a front foot attachment alone is usually effective in manipulating the surfboard and controlling it in flight than a back foot attachment alone. While the lack of a rear foot attachment could be considered a drawback to the foot strap approach, this lack does not negate the positive aspects of a foot strap. Primarily the advantage of a foot strap over hook & loop and suction cup approaches is that the foot strap helps guide the foot into an optimum position before securing it there.
One disadvantage of the foot strap approach is that when the surfer is up and riding, the surfer's front foot is desirably positioned in the same area of the board as the chest occupies when lying prone in a paddling position. If the strap is mounted in an arched configuration so that the front foot will slide naturally and easily into position beneath it, the strap will be too uncomfortable and even painful to lay upon. If the strap lays flat upon the deck of the board so that it does not pose a problem when paddling, it will be unacceptably difficult to place the foot under the strap when standing. A foot strap designed for the front foot that would permit the quick and easy placement of the foot beneath it while allowing the surfer to lie upon it without discomfort would be a significant advantage.